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AbLabs sale to HSU on Abilene City Council agenda

The Abilene City Council will consider the sale of the AbLabs building at 1325 Pine St. at the second of two council meetings this week.

The council meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. Thursday at City Hall, 555 Walnut St.

Last week, the board of the Development Corporation of Abilene voted to sell the AbLabs facility to Hardin-Simmons University so the school can move its physical therapy department there. The council also must approve the sale.

The DCOA valued the property at $2.25 million. Under terms of the agreement, HSU will pay $1.5 million cash plus take out a $750,000 interest-free, three-year loan from the DCOA. The loan will be reduced by $250,000 per year if HSU keeps its PT program there with five permanent employees and an average annual enrollment of 75 students.

Originally called the Abilene Life Sciences Accelerator, the building was completed in 2010 at a cost of more than $10 million. The DCOA had hoped to use the facility to lure biotech companies with high-paying jobs to Abilene. Despite marketing attempts, the facility failed to live up to expectations and has sat vacant since the fall of 2015.

In a news media briefing Monday, City Manager Robert Hanna said selling the building was a win-win situation for the city and HSU, and a "good re-purposing of the building."

Among other items on the agenda Thursday is the creation of a Citizen's Advisory Board for People with Disabilities. Hanna said this was an initiative of Mayor Anthony Williams and would provide good input for the city on accessibility issues that might come up.

In executive session on Thursday, Hanna said the council could discuss a contract to sell water to the city of Ballinger and possibly replacing the roof on the city-owned Cotton Warehouse, across the street from Frontier Texas!, in the event the city wants to sell the property.

Also, in closed session, the council will interview a candidate for city secretary. Hanna said the city hopes to fill the position, vacated with the retirement of Danette Dunlap on Sept. 29, by the Thanksgiving holiday.

On the agenda for the Tuesday meeting are a presentation on a contract the city has had with TAC/Schneider Electric for energy efficiency upgrades, a presentation on a government performance management software and a public comment period.